The Meat of the Matter

While mobility is my primary goal at this point, I’m always happy to find ways to recover other things in my life taken from me by MS. I’ve mentioned how liberating the acquisition of my Asus tablet PC’s been (I haven’t even begun talking about the restoration of my ability to play FPS combat games again using the Android paradigm!), but occasionally I’ll find something that will add another piece to the puzzle.

This week saw one of those somethings. Among other cognitive issues the flavor of multiple sclerosis I have brings, a particularly annoying one was the loss of almost all hunger signals telling me I’m hungry for the past several years. Yep, that means never having an appetite, a sore blow to my normally sensualist/hedonist appreciation of life; I’ve had to recognize I needed to eat by the logy, vague thinking and gloomy attitude that accompanies it.

Well, for whatever reason I’ve been hungry again for the past few weeks, actually enjoying eating foods I like and experiencing those missing hunger signals again. When my mom got a wild hair recently and ordered some steaks from Omaha Steaks, I decided I’d like one…it’s been years since I’ve indulged. Part of the reason for this is the lack of hunger signals I’ve mentioned but there was another reason, a dealbreaker until it was addressed: I’m left handed and my left hand’s lost about 90% of its function. Cutting up a piece of food is an exercise in futility. Try it sometime and you’ll see…there’s no reliable way to do this using one hand (especially with your non dominant, or weak hand!)…it was obvious I’d need a new adaptive aid to be able to do it.

A quick search introduced me to rocker knives, and it was soon clear that one of the better ones is available from good old Amazon inexpensively: the Alaskan Ulu Knife. It’s made in Alaska, looks attractive with its laminated wood handle and base and appeared likely to fill my need, so I jumped on it at just twelve bucks.

This thing’s a marvel of low tech! I found I could almost effortlessly cut a piece of steak with precision. The mass of the blade pins the meat down and won’t allow it to move, while the curved blade doeas the cutting as you rock it forward or back.

While shopping, I looked at pepper mills I could use one handed. While Peugeot makes a lovely electric mill, the cost at above $90 wasn’t suitable. I soon found that for table use, I could do a lot worse than the Vic Firth stainless steel mill:

I’m pretty sure it’s American made, and solves the problem. I must have caught a sale, it only cost me $11.75, but as you see that’s more than doubled since I ordered it. If the price comes down again I’ll probably grab another for grinding sea salt, I like it so well. If you have a relative or friend who’s been limited by age, affliction or injury,
I highly recommend both of these items to make a real difference in their ability to enjoy life.

Now, I’ve read any number of accounts of disabled people like myself who simply resigned themselves to eating food they could manage with conventional utensils. I can’t understand why that should happen in this day and age when a few minutes’ researching will solve their problem as it did for me. Yet again we see how the market is always there to fill a niche created by consumers’ need or desire…a postulate the Keynesians never have understood and probably never will!

Bitcoin Donation Address: 1N9FWbFhTQrmTTQwMYYMBoc4ymdXBKSg5L

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About Glenn Horowitz

I'm a 20 year civil courier pilot, retired by multiple sclerosis. From summer of 2011 until December 2013 my efforts went mostly to my first blog, Get Glenn Mobile, to raise the funds needed to convert my Honda Element for wheelchair access and end my virtual housebound confinement.
This was realized just after Christmas 2013 when I was able to acquire a superb X-WAV Element, already modified for my use. Though the original goal wasn't met, what was raised, plus my Honda, plus the proceeds of the sale from my mother's car were enough to make it happen. It's an amazing story in itself!
Now, after my release from homebound prison, I can augment the journalistic work I'm doing for the American Daily Herald by getting out in public, talking with people, perhaps even getting some media attention to explain why someone as disabled as I am knows these unfunded entitlement programs like Social Security and its 'disability insurance' are bogus and do more harm than good, and in fact why the whole welfare/warfare state is contrived to keep the gravy train rolling for those who benefit while they drain our resources and eat out our substance.
Why 'public education' is really public INDOCTRINATION that's become a meat grinder destroying our youth and our future.
Why the fiat currency foisted on us by the Federal Reserve for a hundred years has destroyed the dollar and will without doubt cause its collapse.
On and on the list goes, and I want to talk with the world about these vital matters.
Please visit my new blog, 'Liberty On Wheels' at http://libertyonwheels.com/ if you're interested in learning more!

Hi there would you mind letting me know which web host you’re utilizing?
I’ve loaded your blog in 3 diffeeent web browsers and I must say
this blog loads a lot quicker then most. Can you suggest a
good web hosting provider at a fqir price? Thanks, I appreciate it!

Eric Peters Autos
An awesome automotive site, without the usual corporate shill fluff. Eric tells it like it is!

Wheelchair Kamikaze
A different perspective on dealing with MS by Marc in New York. I like his writing style better than most I’ve seen…visit his blog!

incompetech.com
The best and most user friendly site for royalty free music and sounds for use in media projects. All Kevin asks is for attribution in new works using his material. Licensed under Creative Commons and thoroughly awesome!

Tatiana Moroz Official Site
The official site of my new friend and ally in the liberty community. Tatiana’s a wonderfully talented artist and a force to be reckoned with in the liberty movement…a genuine MUST SEE!

WKOAlive
A great station, broadcasting out of Tampa to keep you informed!

Lew Rockwell dot com
A multifaceted site covering everything from politics and economics to food, fun and diversions. It’s my main daily trusted source for news.

Radio IO
Radio IO, home of the Bubba Army Radio Network and my friend Scott Ledger with his Dangerous Conversation…Tune in!

American Daily Herald
A fine online journal and the home of my new venture in writing regular columns! I like their motto: veritas, libertas, pax et prosperitas

Stuff Just For Fun

Rise Of Flight official site
More than just the premiere WW I air combat simulation, I consider Rise of Flight the most realistic flight sim ever. Check it out, the basic sim is free! You can fly two planes to begin with, or act as gunner in any 2-seat scout or large bomber online.

New Wings web site
A good bunch of solid folks here. Their emphasis is on training and learning, not brainless noob shoots. One of the best resources for a new pilot!